Holiday Knitting

Christmas knitting has been thankfully light this year and I'm done with all mandatory projects.

For my brother's girlfriend, the Fourth Grade Hat knit in Noro Kochoran, a decadent blend of wool, angora, and silk. (I'm trying not to think about how they must process so much angora and imagine this yarn is not exactly PETA-friendly.) I used 4.5mm needles with a cast-on of 80. I first began with 88 stitches and the thing was huge, which I realized only after I'd gotten about 3/4 finished. No worries, though, since this is a fun hat to knit and watching the colors reveal themselves never gets boring. Note to self: if using this yarn again to make this hat (which I probably won't -- see parenthetical above), cast on 72 sts. This hat will be fine for the recipient, who has a thick mane of blond hair. But for someone like me with smaller head and less hair, it's a little too rasta.

Brim, above, and crown, below.


For my brother, another pair of socks. He loves the socks I make and carefully washes them by hand even when he doesn't have to. He wears them so much he puts holes in them, which I can't exactly fault him for. Here, Lau socks, a challenging toe-up pattern using Trekking XXL, my absolute favorite yarn for men's socks. It comes in interesting colorways, is economical, and extremely durable. While I enjoyed the pattern -- asymmetrical, gusset designs, and cabling without an extra needle -- it confirmed to me that I really don't like doing toe-up socks.

Call me Old School, but I much prefer working from the top down and grafting the toes. I can pretty much knit any pair of socks from the cuff down without looking at instructions unless there's a complicated cable or colorwork going on. With toe-ups, however, I'm constantly checking on the gusset increases and having to consult a pattern for the heel. (And I've never met a toe-up heel I've liked. I really hate the wrap-and-turn short rows where you have to pick up the wrapped stitches on your way back. I lose my place, don't pick up some wraps, and pick up other stitches that deserve to be left alone. It's a pain.) It's kind of like the mild irritation I experience when cooking from a recipe, and that recipe is on the computer. I'm constantly going back and forth from kitchen to table to kitchen to table. (What was that again? 1 tablespoon of baking powder? Baking soda? Was it a teaspoon?)

Anyhoo, Lau, with the patterned gusset on the inside:

The cabled-without-a-cable-needle pattern, which pairs up at the leg and runs on the outside of the sock.


Here, another shot of the asymmetry, which I really enjoyed, in addition to the ktbl ribs, which give it a nice texture and tight springiness. Notice what doesn't have tight springiness is the cuff, which I used a sewn cast-off on (half Kitchener, I suppose). It's the best option in this case, since it gives you a flexible edge. I think it'll be ok once they're being worn, but I hate how floppy and soft it looks.


Finally, a mini stocking for Sharon's West Highland terrier Tucker, a variation of this pattern and knit in the round. I thought I might do a lot of these for friends and family, personalizing them. But they're pretty labor-intensive so we'll see.

Here, the side with the 'T' meant to look like a crown, since he's the prince of the house.


And his portrait:


Happy holidays!